A Raising in the Sun

Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun was groundbreaking as it was the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway, as well as one of the first to depict the everyday struggles faced by a black American family (Nemiroff 6). The play has been adapted to the screen on three occasions. In 1961, a film version of the play was released featuring the original Broadway cast and a screenplay written by Hansberry herself (A Raisin in the Sun 1961). A second adaptation was made in 1989 in honor of the play’s twenty-fifth anniversary. This version differs greatly from the 1961 adaptation in that it is a filmed version of the play and, therefore, adheres to Hansberry’s original work much more closely than the first adaptation. This American Playhouse production was made for television and based on the off-Broadway revival of the play produced by Roundabout Theatre (A Raisin in the Sun 1989). In 2008, a third adaptation was produced, also for television. This version offered a teleplay, written by Paris Qualles, based on Hansberry’s original play, but again, like the previous 1961 version, was adapted from stage format to movie format (A Raisin in the Sun 2008).

Having three adaptations of a single original work is bound to lead to a number of commonalities, and these are no exception. Similarities are found in plot, thematic issues, characterization, and symbolism; however, each screen version exhibits variances in the strength of its interpretations of these four elements, as well as the additional elements of performance, direction, cinematography, setting, and sound.

As the play begins, the Younger family, consisting of matriarch Lena, her two children Walter Lee and Beneatha, Walter Lee’s wife Ruth, and son Travis, await the arrival of a ten thousand dollar check. This check, a payout from Lena’s deceased husband’s life insurance policy, is the inciting incident from which all conflicts emerge.

The play’s opening scene, depicting